Was It Worth The Cost?
by Sean P. O'Farrel
Summary: They beat Hawkmoth, but... Were they ready? Was it worth it?


Ladybug could feel the tears on her cheeks as she stared at the limp form of her partner, a long black cane stuck through his chest. His body convulsed, but she still couldn't bring herself to me, because the minute she touched him, the minute she felt his cooling body in her arms, it would all be real…

But it was already real, and it was already terrible.

Hawkmoth lay unconscious behind her. She had already taken his butterfly pin away from him after knocking him out, but though she had seen the flash of his transformation failing, she couldn't- she wouldn't- tear her eyes off Chat Noir.

He convulsed again, and let out a wet cough. With a start, Ladybug abandoned her fears, and rushed over to her partner. She picked his head up, and cradled it in her hands before gently resting him across her thighs as she sat down.

"Chat? Chat, please…. Don't do this! Stay with me, Chat!" Her voice felt hoarse and weak, but it still carried around the empty chamber that had been Hawkmoth's hideaway from them for so long.

Why had they come here, she wondered, not for the first time. The akuma attacks hadn't been easy, but they could handle it. Hawkmoth… He had been totally different, and he had been waiting for them. From the first akuma until today, like a spider in the center of a web, the supervillain had been waiying for them to arrive, prepared.

They had beaten him, but… With a little more time to prepare themselves…

"Ladybug?" Ladybug's eyes snapped back to Chat, as his emerald green eyes met her bluebell ones.

"Chat! Please, stay with me! Help is on the way!" They had called the police before stepping foot in the villain's lair, and she could hear the sirens right outside. The battle hadn't taken as long as it had seemed to in her head. She had expected to have to communicate to the police to stay outside until the battle was done via her communicator. Now she was glad to hear the heavy tread of boots already rushing to their side. "Hang in there!"

"Ladybug…" Chat's eyes drifted closed, and Ladybug almost sobbed. When they opened once more, they were fixed on the light that poured through the window Hawkmoth had sent his evil akuma through, and a small smile graced his face. Ladybug almost thought he looked… Handsome.

"M'lady, please… I… have one last request…."

Ladybug's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Sh, Chat, don't say such things! Rest, and keep your strength! Help will be here soon!" She could still hear the boots, checking ever room in the building. Why couldn't they hurry up?

"M'lady, please… I… I just… Sing me a song, would you please?"

Ladybug's face melted into a confused stare. "A song? But why, Chat?"

"I've… never heard… M'lady sing…. Please… Sing me… Sing me back home…."

By now, Ladybug knew that Chat was delirious. It was true that he had never heard her sing, but why would he want to? And when would she have had the time, between all of his incessant flirting and terrible puns. "Sing you back home?"

"You are my home, m'lady…"

Ladybug felt a pang in her heart. She took a deep, shuddering breath, and began to sing, a tune she had heard being sung in the streets of Paris by lovesick fools, and played over the radio many a night as she worked as Marinette to finish a project.

" _Tu es mon rayon de soleil, mon seul rayon de soleil"_

She could hear the heavy boots on the floor below them. Chat gasped as she started the verse, his eyes snapping to her. A grin spread across his face, the first truly happy one she had seen from him in…

She blinked. She couldn't remember if she had ever seen Chat truly happy, as happy as he was now. She felt more tears well up in her eyes at the realization. Her partner was dying in her arms, and he probably knew more about her than she did him.

" _Tu me rends heureux quand les cieux sont gris"_

There had been the time that he had remembered her birthday and brought her a present. The gift had been beautiful- a ruby Ladybug broach- and she had tried to give it back to him, saying such a gift was too expensive.

" _Nonsense."_ He had replied. " _It would look purr-fect on you at our wedding."_

Before she could say anymore, Chat Noir had vanished into the night, leaving her with the jeweled broach and his catty smile.

She had never even known his birthday.

" _Vous ne saurez jamais ma chère, combien Je vous aime"_

She jumped as she felt something brush her face. Chat Noir's gloved hand had snuck up while she had reminisced, and caught the tears that were flowing freely from her eyes, wiping them away before gently tracing her face, as though to memorize it.

She could still hear the boots coming closer. She hoped they would make it in time.

" _S'il vous plaît ne me prenez pas mon rayon de soleil"_

Chat Noir's eyes closed, and his hand fell from her face as a hard, heavy, shuddering sigh left his lips, with words that rocked Ladybug to her core.

Ladybug's eyes widened, and she grabbed him, trying to waken him again. "Chat! Chat, wake up!"

The door to the room they were in crashed open, and Ladybug felt herself being pulled back from Chat Noir's side. She let out a choked scream, his words still echoing in her ears.

" _I love you, too."_


End file.
